Topic: 73 Firebird Formula 400 - Ready for Spring!

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Looks great Joe.

My old memory tells me there is a pressed in plug that had a tendency to leak excess fuel into the manifold? Anyone know this one?

[CBJoe]

Looks great Joe.

My old memory tells me there is a pressed in plug that had a tendency to leak excess fuel into the manifold? Anyone know this one?

Hey Jerry...you are correct.  I have tested and verified these are good. They were rebuilt by a place that re-epoxied the plugs.

Joe


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[CBJoe]

Mission accomplished....we have tree guys coming tomorrow that need to move through the space the Firebird was sitting.  So crushed yesterday and today to get it mobile.  VERY happy with the tire clearance









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[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

10" wrinkle walls would look really nice with that clearance 

[CBJoe]

10" wrinkle walls would look really nice with that clearance 

Gonna have to google that one jerry....whats a wrinkle wall?  Drag tire?

[grcamna2]

Joe,you did excellent work on that Firebird,touched all the bases.  How does it handle in the twisties? Do you feel good about your Qaudrajet now? I had one on my previous Buick Gran Sport400 and if it wasn't set-up right,I would smell some gas if I came to a fast stop at a light,it would 'over-juice' then. 

[CBJoe]

Joe,you did excellent work on that Firebird,touched all the bases.  How does it handle in the twisties? Do you feel good about your Qaudrajet now? I had one on my previous Buick Gran Sport400 and if it wasn't set-up right,I would smell some gas if I came to a fast stop at a light,it would 'over-juice' then. 

Too early to tell...Will probably be next weekend until we get it out to thrash around.  I have a big checklist of little things to torque and finish up.  Just needed to get to the point of moving under its own power by tomorrow .

However even just backing it down the pad and back I can tell a huge difference in the steering solidity compared to before.


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[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

10" wrinkle walls would look really nice with that clearance 

Gonna have to google that one jerry....whats a wrinkle wall?  Drag tire?

Wrinkle wall slick

[Stev-o]

10" wrinkle walls would look really nice with that clearance 

Gonna have to google that one jerry....whats a wrinkle wall?  Drag tire?

Yes, slang for drag racing slicks. They are run with relatively low pressure for grip and "Wrinkle" when coming off the line.



Joe - the car looks great!   If we want to get real picky, I'd say the rear end should be lowered just a  bit so the clearance between the tire and fender matches the front.  Now, it may settle a bit but can be easily adjusted, right? 

I'm getting "Firebird Fever", I may borrow my buddies '68 this weekend!

[Don R]

  All the cool guys wanted wrinkle walls and a three barrel carb.
  Someone decided if you made the secondaries of a Holley carb a giant oval instead of two holes it would flow more air. You could literally watch the gas gauge go down. Probably gas washed cylinders more than made power. 

[CBJoe]

This thread is as good as an episode of Hot Rod garage. Thanks for the updates. I bought one of those fender lip rollers off of marketplace, I may use it when the new tubs and quarter panels are in.

I may have to give this a shot don.  Just took car out for a general shakedown after getting all the control arm bolts torqued.  I've got the slightest amount of rubbing happening when hitting the right kind of road incline/decline (eg. railroad track humps).  It appears to be the very top inside lip of the front fenders. 

I've never rolled a fender before...but it doesn't look difficult.  I think i'm going to get some white out or something and paint it on the inner fender lip to verify for sure where its hitting.

On a positive note...its got a solid firm ride and steering feel now    much less rattling over bumps than before.  Its definitely not riding like a caddy 

Joe

[RAFster122s]

Joe, Eastwood I think has a fender rolling tool. Biggest problem rolling lip is the paint cracking, even if outer paint doesn’t crack you often get the inner lip doing so and it leads to place for trapped moisture and foothold for rust to form. The dirt and heat and moisture is the ideal breeding grounds for rust...

[CBJoe]

Hey David...lucky (or unlucky) for me but the inner fender lips are already not painted completely with the orange.  I actually used a wood handle for a rubber mallet and it worked like a treat to roll up the inner lip just a tad where it was rubbing.

At this point I only heard the slightest rub once when going over the magic railroad track near me.  Otherwise I couldn't really reproduce.

BUT!!!  Now I realized that right when i hit steering lock, the tires just barely contact the freaking swaybar    I'm going to do some checking, but I think if I replace the front 255-50/17 Tires with 245s it will corret things all around.  If I do this I'll now have an extra set of tires to do burnouts in 

Man it was good driving it around.  Steering feels great.

Cheers, Joe

[grcamna2]

Joe,Do you have it sorted well enough to give it to your Lady yet ?

[CBJoe]

Joe,Do you have it sorted well enough to give it to your Lady yet ?

Heh....her and I were just discussing this.  Its officially good enough to drive safely.  I had to replace all the front wheel studs because the stock ones weren't long enough with these new wheels.  Thats all done this evening and all the suspension bits are torqued down.

I took a deadblow hammer to the inner fender lips (shock and horror  ) and no more rubbing as far as I can tell.  The 255 tires unfortunately just barely contact the swaybar at full lock...but we're gonna just drive it for now and consider 245s in the future.

Lots of little things will get tweaked on here and there...but nothing major (I hope)

Boy it was fun thrashing it around for a final test drive before signing off on it 

Joe

[grcamna2]

Joe,Do you have it sorted well enough to give it to your Lady yet ?

Heh....her and I were just discussing this.  Its officially good enough to drive safely.  I had to replace all the front wheel studs because the stock ones weren't long enough with these new wheels.  Thats all done this evening and all the suspension bits are torqued down.

I took a deadblow hammer to the inner fender lips (shock and horror  ) and no more rubbing as far as I can tell.  The 255 tires unfortunately just barely contact the swaybar at full lock...but we're gonna just drive it for now and consider 245s in the future.

Lots of little things will get tweaked on here and there...but nothing major (I hope)

Boy it was fun thrashing it around for a final test drive before signing off on it 

Joe

Then you can let the car start working For both of you rather than you having to work on It 

[CBJoe]

lord I hope so....if I have to jack this thing up many more times i'll scream

[Stev-o]

 The 255 tires unfortunately just barely contact the swaybar at full lock...but we're gonna just drive it for now and consider 245s in the future.

I had a vehicle that did the same, I just didnt turn it to full lock - problem solved!  Have fun with it...

[CBJoe]

I think she likes it 

[dave500]

my wife drives a 1999 hyundai she bought new,wanna swap?

[RAFster122s]

Dave, You asking about swapping the car or wife?
I believe he is asking about the later Joe...

[dave500]

ha ha ha !!i went to a wife swapping party once and went home with a perfectly good power drill!

[Tom]

Great car Joe you have done well, it looks the business. I bought my ‘68 Firebird 400 HO convertible in 1979 here in Australia, it’s Right Hand Drive and was changed over from new, it’s mostly stock with the exception of a 9” and 4 wheel disc brakes that I fitted years ago, it’s a great car and I still enjoy it much. Even after 43 years. My wife spent her last year as an exchange student in Simi Valley Ca. driving a 79 Trans am to school, she would like another in a heart beat! Not sure I will show her your wife’s car Hi. Cheers Tom

[CBJoe]

my wife drives a 1999 hyundai she bought new,wanna swap?

You know dave...I would...but the import/export taxes just aren't worth it 

[Don R]

 I bought a fender lip roller for not a lot, off marketplace. It bolts to the wheel hub and adjusts a nylon roller out and rotates like a tire until the fender lip is as smooth as it needs to be.